Apparatus and method of casting self-hardening materials



R. LINDSEY Filed Dec. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet R. LINDSEY 1,773,429

APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CASTING SELF HARDENING MATERIALS Aug.- 19, 1930.

Filed Dec'. 3, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIi IIIIIHQHIHII .Patentd Aug. 19, l g 1 p I g i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE: p misu e-ss me,mam-:1 arraaawosenn iv nrnon on casting."sntsgnannnninsM ERIALS I Application mam al- 3,"19 2c. Serial in. l v

This invention relates toimprovernents in Fig.2 is a viewsimilar to Fig; 1 illustratan apparatus and method of casting self ing the apparatus at the finished position hardening. materials. m ng the article. A

Heretofore it has been customary to cast Fig.3 is a perspective view of the article 5 long articles such as, for'example, cast iron formed; z pipe'and the like in a vertical position. The Fig.4: is a vertical section througlran apmoldis first'formed with the gate or. sprue paratus of slightly modified construction leading from the top of the mold to-thebot-1 W e e icle is being formed and illll se tom and entering the space Whichforms the tiat s he ma in Which-two or more dif cast article at its bottom. The molten metal fe f k ds of self hardening materials are co flowing down through'the gate or sprue being cast.- k a p I enters the space and gradually, fills it, thus Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View of the form forming the completed cast article. Such a ing device used in the apparatus shown in 7 method. which is well known,is disadvanta Fig. 4. i

5 geous in that the length of thearticle is lim- Fig. 6 is a view in sideelevation of the es ited. The molten metal flowing against'the same. a H p cold sand or mold material quickly cools and Referring to the accompanying drawings unless elaborate precautions are taken the whereinsimilarreferencecharactersdesignate height of the article is limited by virtue of the similar parts throughout, the im v d:

fact that the molten-metal :will' cool and paratus consistsof a suitable base 10 on which 70. harden before it reaches the top of the'mold. a cylinder 11'is mounted in an upright posi- I It is an obj ectof this invention to provide tion. The cylinder ll constitutes the flask of a novel apparatus and method of castingself themold forming the sides thereof, The bothardening materials which is advantageous tom of the flask is provided-by a tableflQ in" that the length orheight and'thickness of. which maybe considered aform ef elevator th flrfi l may be -0f any size, h i uni-v adapted to be raised and loweredby'the ver lj it i-i V e v p Y I @1631" rod 13 which extends through-1th Another object of the invention is toproaperture 145 inthe base 10. This ro'd maybe vide a cheap, simple and durable construcraised and lowered by suitable mechation and method for casting self hardening iSm 1 19 ShQW l, 1 11 3, for example, ahyso materials which is highly desirable ili'folnr draulically operated piston or equivalent meirig-roughcastings such as cast'iron rodsrcole a i n u o t the op o he -y twins or i v I v lnder llthere is a suitable hopper 15. A

e A further object of the invention is to proforming device 16 is suspended over the top vide an apparatus and method having the of the flask by means of the suspending means above mentioned characteristicsand which is 17. This forming device which is used in adapted to simultaneously cast aplurality forming the article shown "in Fig. 3 is cir-- of articlesor simultaneously cast a plurality cular in form and is inverted U-shaped. in of various kinds of self hardening materials; section, having an open bot-tom. The hard-v ae With th foregoing and other obje'ctsji in ening material which is' to becast is supplied view which will be made manifest the fol? to the forming device through a suitable conlowing detailed description and specifically duit or gate 18. The sand or other mold ma pointed 'ojutin the'appended claims reference terial is adapted to be fed into thezfiaski and is had to the accompanyingdra: ing-s sprinkled over the t p ofthe fo ming device 45 illustrative embodiment of the invention, within thehopper 15 such as by a me g Fig. 1 is a vertical section through'the inn The PG tiQ O the ppara s s as $01 mvedap aratus illu ra ng the ppa at s: Th table 12 s. elevated v h t. th t ti position in fern-ring the 13 to its uppermost position shown in Fig.

50 molded articleand ome and is, sprinkle in the. hopper 1&

I the material to be cast is in a IfiOlLGH condition such as cast iron or other molten metal the forming device 16 ispreferablymade of a heat resisting refractory material such as for example, porcelaimfireclay or the like. The table 12 is then gradually loweredythe supply of molten material in the forming devic being kept constant. As the table lowers the sand or other mold material is gradually sprinkled over the top of the forming device in the hopper 15 so that it will be kept on a level approximately even with thetop of he forming device. The lowering of the table 12 causes relative movement to take place between the sand and the forming device and asthe self hardening material flows or is fed out of the bottom of the forming device it expands against the walls of the sand mold and core which walls are formed by the sand becoming packed and formed by the exterior surfaces of the forming device '16. The table 12 is continually lowered to the bottom of the cylinder 11 until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 2 just preceding which the supply of self hardening material is cut off andthe supply of sand fed to the mold through chute 19 is stopped. As soon as the self hardening material has cooled or has become set the cylinder 11 can be removed and the sand shaken out producing the cylinder indicated at 20 which will be a section of cast iron pipe if cast iron is used as a self hardening material. It will be appreciated that by the improved method the section of cast iron pipe is gradually formed from the bottom to the top and that the molten metal is always supplied to the mold in a hot fluid state. By the improved method the length of the sec tion of pipe which can be formed is unlimited, the only limitation being the length or height to which the cylinder 11 mig t be built and the distance through which it is possible to lower the table 12.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 "a modification is disclosed wherein two different kinos of self hardening materials'are being cast simultaneously. In this construction the forming device 16 is circular in form and 'is of an in verted W shape. One rind of self hardening material is supplied through the gate or conduit 18 and another kind of self hardening material is supplied through gate or conduit 18 The table 12 is lowered in the same manner as previously described and the sand is supplied to the mold as before through the chute 19. Both forms of self hardening materials will thus be cast together simultaneously and side by side so that this form of construction can be advantageously employed in forming a lined or a coated section of pipe. If desired the two inverted forming devices which are shown integral in Fig. 4; could be separated so that during a single casting operation two or more sections of pipe can be cast simultaneously, one within the other with a wall of sand or mold material disposed between them, keeping them separated while cooling or becoming hard.

From the above described construction of the apparatus and methodit will be appreciated that a novel and advantageous apparatus and method for casting self hardening materials is provided which can be very advantageously employed in casting long articles such as long sections of pipe, columns or any article which should be of considerable length. The shapes given to the articles need not be cylindrical as shown in Fig. 3 but may be flat as in forming long cast iron plates or curved. The particular shape of the article merely depends upon the shape given to the forming device 16 which feeds the fluid material to the mold. The improved method and apparatus enables an article to be cast without requiring gates or sprues and risers. Gates sprues and risers require a lot of additional material to be used in supplying the molten material to the interior of the mold and these parts must later be cut off and re-melted. By eliminating these in the improved method and apparatus a more efficient method of casting is thus provided.

WVhile the invention has been shown and described as casting the article in a vertical position it will be readily understood that the article may be cast in various-other positions if found desirable.

Various changes may be made in the details of-construction and in the method of casting without departing from the spirit or scope of the .invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. The method of casting self hardening materials which comprises simultaneously forming the mold and supplying it with the self hardening material to be cast.

2. The method of casting self hardening materials which comprises simultaneously feeding the material to be cast and the mold material into a flask, and lowering the bottom of themold.

3. The method of casting self hardening materials which comprises feeding thematerial in fluid form into a flask through a forming device, and simultaneously feeding mold material into the'flask about the forming device and causing relative movement to take place between the forming device and the fed materials. y

1. The method of casting self hardening materials which comprises simultaneously forming the mold and supplying it with a plurality of self hardening materials to be cast.

5. The method of casting selfi hardening materials which comprises simultaneously feeding 'a'plurality of materials to be cast and the mold material into a flask, and lowering the bottom of the mold.

6. The methodof'casting self hardening materials Which comprises feeding a plu I ralit-y of materials in fluid form-into a flask 7 through a forming device and simultaneously feeding mold material into the flask about the forming device and causing relative movement to take place betweenthe'forming device and the fedmaterials.

7. An apparatus for casting self hardening materials comprising means providing a flask in which the mold material is adapted to be placed, means for feeding the self hardening material into the flask in the desired shape and means for causing relative movement to take place between the feeding lfrlieans and the mold material supplied to the ask.

8. An apparatus for casting self hardening materials comprising means providing a flask in which the mold material is adapted to be placed, means for feeding the self hardening-c material into the flask in the desired shape, and means for lowering the bottom of the mold as the self hardening material and mold material are fed into the'flask.

9. The method of casting self hardening materials in tubular form Which comprises discharging the material through an annular forming device, and causing the forming device to sh ape the core and mold.

10; The method of casting self hardening materials into tubular form which comprises simultaneously forming a core and mold from one end toward theother, and filling the space between the core and mold as it is being a formed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ROY LINDSEY; 

